Picking the Pockets of the Aged, Disabled

George Skelton
Capitol Journal
May 15, 2006

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it himself while unveiling his $131-billion revised spending plan: A Budget is "much more than just ledger sheets ... A budget is all about values."

"It's an expression of who we are," he continued, "and what we really care about."

Right. So I won't be joing the large cheering section for this annual "May revision" of the governor's proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

I didn't realize there were so many Al Qaeda cells in America. I guess we really do need to be afraid...

NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls
Updated 5/11/2006 10:38 AM ET
By Leslie Cauley, USA TODAY

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.
The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

****GRAY PANTHERS MAY GENERAL MEETING*****
CONTROLLING SACRAMENTO'S RIVERS
AND PLANNING FOR OUR PEOPLE

MAY 9TH - 1:00-3:00 PM
Hart Senior Center, 27th & J Sts.
Time: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 1:00pm PST

Confessions of a Repentant Republican

"I supported George W. Bush in the presidential election in 2000, believing then that he best reflected my love for America and for our tradition of liberty. I supported the war in Afghanistan. In March of 2003, I believed that the invasion of Iraq was justified based upon pre-war revelations presented to Congress and to the American people. Acordingly, the indictments contained herein apply, first and foremost, to myself.

This Saturday, March 11th, from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm, we'll build upon the spectacular, colorful, energetic gathering of political voices that we had at 16th & Broadway last weekend. (see http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/1725300.php )

Once again, we'll join forces and hold a major anti-war/anti-Bush/pro-democracy rally, rain or shine.

Saturday's event is the second of three consecutive Saturday rallies at 16th & Broadway. As we approach the third anniversary of the US-led/UN-opposed invasion of Iraq, let's increase the momentum of our demand to end the war!
Time: Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 3:00pm PST

Resolution to Impeach Bush-Cheney Passes 7-3
by Ken Werner, Trinity Plaza Tenants Association (TPTA), 2006-03-03

On Tuesday, February 28, 2006, the City and County of San Francisco became the first large municipality to call for the impeachment of George Bush and Dick Cheney, by a 7-3 vote. Supervisors Sean Elsbernd, Michela Alioto-Pier, and Sophie Maxwell cast the dissenting votes (Sup. Jake McGoldrick was absent for the vote). Sup. Chris Daly commenced his introduction of Agenda Item 27 with "I initially thought this ... would be a noncontroversial piece of legislation. Perhaps it still is, maybe not-a-unanimous-vote piece of legislation. But if you remember when we took our oath of office we swore to uphold the Constitution."

Please forward this article to as many people as you can:
http://tinyurl.com/zr3lb

Here's the video

You can also start up your letters to the Bee:
Contact the Bee
Link to Bee article

By MARGARET EBRAHIM and JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON - In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Click

Amen, Reverend. Click the pic

Quicktime Video - Click

Leisa Faulkner, of Sacramento and founder of the Coalition for Democracy in Haiti, is joining 10 other people for a 15-day hunger strike on the steps of the U N in Geneva. The hunger strike has been organized by Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness, (http://vitw.org/) and is being held to support Economic Justice in Iraq. Leisa's regular journal entries will appear here.

MMOB's Write the Right campaign on Social Security

Have a party, or Write the Right on your own. Social Security is one of the most successful, humane and efficient programs ever. Let's celebrate that fact while reaching out to the sane Republicans who must be tired of all the strong-arming going on within their own party.

Get ready for the Republican anti-Social Security blitz.

A couple of weeks ago a right-wing front group called "USA Next" made national news when it started its anti-Social Security campaign with a bigoted, hateful ad. Immediately, tens of thousands of DFA grassroots supporters created a backlash so strong that USA Next spent the next few weeks licking its wounds.

But now they're back. USA Next is set to go on the air with its political hate speech in the next two weeks. Please act now -- petition media outlets to keep bigotry and distortions off the air:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/StopUSANext

Dear MoveOn member,

We couldn't believe our ears when we heard a group of Republicans chanting, "Hey, hey. Ho, ho. Social Security has got to go" on CNN last night. But that is what they did, outside Senator Rick Santorum's Social Security town hall meeting in Philadelphia.

Short answer: Governor Dean strongly supports Social Security and Medicare. He would not risk Social Security by privatizing it, and he would not raise the retirement age. He supports a Medicare drug benefit.

Additional: Dean supports making medicine more affordable by allowing drugs to be purchased from Canada, by increasing use of generic drugs, and by halting misuse of patents by the pharmaceutical companies. In Vermont, seniors up to 225% of the poverty line receive assistance in paying for drugs. Also in Vermont Governor Dean increased funding for home health care. As President he would support an act to provide a new Medicaid benefit allowing those "eligible for nursing home care access to community-based attendant services instead."

These answers were developed by Shelley Shaver, Coodinator of the Sacramento for Dean Issues, Policy and Rapid Response Volunteer Campaign Team and are not endorsed by or affiliated with Howard Dean or the Dean for America campaign, www.deanforamerica.com.